


The Truth in Lies

by Aneira_Fen_Foxx



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-09-30
Packaged: 2019-06-24 01:49:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15619818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aneira_Fen_Foxx/pseuds/Aneira_Fen_Foxx
Summary: Alexis knew nothing about magic, so when tragedy causes her to move to London with an uncle she never knew existed she is surprised to learn that she is actually a witch. Lucius knew his niece was special, but nobody could guess just how important she would become in the years to come.Some characters wont play out like normal, so sorry. Rated M because of adult elements.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Italics are thoughts, CAPS are yelled words, Combined Italics and Caps are emphasized words
> 
> I dont own the rights, just my Character and thoughts (and those can be pretty scary at times)

Life is a funny thing. Just when you think that you have it figured out it decides to do something totally out of the ordinary and suddenly you are behind the curve and struggling to learn about life again. I thought I had my life figured out, I thought I knew where I was going and what was going to happen. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Allow me to back track a bit and fill you in on me.

My name is Alexis Jade Matthews and believe it or not I'm also a witch. Technically I would probably be a half witch since my dad was a Muggle, or non-magic. My mom was originally from a small providence just outside of London but I can never remember the name of the place. As it was, she met my dad in London and, after a falling out with her family about him not being a wizard she left and moved to the states with him.

It turned out that my mom should have listened to her family, but not because he wasn't a wizard. He got her hooked on various drugs and then split the minute he found out she was pregnant. You might be thinking 'great a witch who was born with a drug habit', but mom checked into rehab almost as soon as my dad left. It wasn't until I was old enough to make my own meals that she slipped back into her old ways.

When I was eleven, I received an acceptance letter in the mail from Salem's Institute of Witch Craft and Wizardry, which I found odd because we lived in New York. (Ironic that one of the biggest cities for the witch-hunts would also be one of the only places for a school for witchcraft.) I showed the letter to my mom during one of her drug-free moments, and her reaction was to tear up the letter, and all subsequent letters that followed. Eventually they just quit coming.

I was thirteen when I joined my first gang, though looking back we were really just a bunch of punk kids. It wasn't long before I changed my appearance, darkening my already brunette hair and adding a few purple and green streaks. I started wearing clothes that didn't leave much to the imagination and got a few extra piercings (ears mostly with one through my lip and a stud in my nose).

I wasn't quite fifteen when life decided to throw me a curve-ball. It was the Friday before Spring Break; school was just about out when I got called into Mrs. Honey's office, the principal. Apparently she had been on the phone most of the day about something dealing with my mother, who had been rushed to the hospital earlier that morning with gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. My mother didn't survive, the drugs having ruined her system enough that she had died on the surgery table.

Mrs. Honey had been on the phone with the cops and the mayor for information on the care of me as we had no knowledge of next-of-kin. As it turned out, Mrs. Honey had worked it out to where I could finish the school year boarding at the school before being turned over to the state. I had entered an almost comatose state at this news but was able to nod an acknowledgement to what she was saying.

It was the second week of May when Mrs. Honey received a message from Mr. Cornelius Fudge from London. He had news about my next-of-kin. Apparently my mother had a brother who had been paying our rent, and when his check had been returned he had looked for information as to why. Having seen her obituary, he had immediately gone to see about taking me in. Everything was arranged for me to fly out the week after school ended. So it was that I was a fifteen year old orphan flying off to London to live with a family I didn't even know had existed until a month ago.

By the time I landed in London, I was pretty moody. I grabbed my carry-on, the rest of my luggage having already been shipped over, and headed to the exit. I glanced over the crowd and saw someone holding a sign with my name on it. He looked to be in his late twenties to early thirties with the same platinum blond hair my mother had. Our eyes met and I gave a quick nod before splitting off from the exiting crowd and making my way to him. "I'm A.J. Matthews. You're waiting for me," I said once a group of screaming teens passed.

"Alexis, it's nice to finally meet you. I'm sorry about your mother." He spoke as he led the way to his car. "As I'm sure you've guessed I'm your uncle. I realize we are close enough in age that calling me uncle will be just as odd to you as everything going on, so if you want you can call me either Mr. Malfoy, or just by my first name Lucius. Would you like to get some food first or just to go to the house?" I answered with a shrug and climbed in the passenger seat.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are thoughts, CAPS are yelled words, Combined Italics and Caps are emphasized words

We arrived at the house in a little over an hour. He pulled up in front of a sort of Gothic Victorian and the front door was opened by who I assumed was Lucius' wife. "Welcome to London Alexis I hope you feel right at home here. I'm Narcissa. Have you had anything to eat? Are you hungry?" Her eyes shifted hesitantly towards Lucius before resting upon me again, though she never dropped her smile. I shook my head. "As I already told Lucius, I just want to get settled in," I said, grabbing my bags out of Lucius' hands. "Just point me to my room."

Narcissa smile faltered a bit, but she stepped back to allow me by. I followed as they led the way through their mansion. The chandelier in the front room was probably worth more than everything my mother and I had owned combined. The railings and trims were a dark mahogany while the floor was an earthy-toned tile. Though darker than even my punk-self would have picked, it held a surreal beauty that held me captive for a moment.

"Lucius, Severus came by while you were gone. Apparently You-Know-Who wants to meet tonight, here for dinner. Severus also said you weren't answering and that's why he was told to stop by." Narcissa tried to speak in hushed tones but I heard every word. "I was ignoring them while we drove. I'm sorry if things were uncomfortable for you," Lucius replied, placing a quick kiss upon her cheek. "That's what I said. I explained you were off picking up your niece and was probably trying to get to know her a bit more."

"Is this Severus someone I should worry about and if not him than maybe this You-Know-Who character?" I asked turning to face them. Narcissa blushed over the fact that I had overheard and excused her-self to go check on dinner. "Severus is just a business partner, if you would," Lucius explained guiding me up the stairs. "He comes off as rather arrogant and has a tendency to seem threatening. Narcissa just hasn't gotten use to him yet."

By this time we had reached what was to be my room. "Now Alexis, there are a lot of things that I need to explain to you and I'm not sure I have the time tonight to cover everything. I want to cover some of the basics real quick before any guests start to arrive. You may not want to but I need you to believe me on these matters." He then gave me a quick rundown on the fact that I was a witch and that there were such things as werewolves, shape-shifters ("Though they are known in the magic world as animagus.") and indeed magic. He even went as far as demonstrating some smaller spells for me.

"I know it's a lot to take in right at this moment, but I need you to know about these things now because if Lord Voldemort, also known as You-Know-Who by those afraid to speak his name, if he does show tonight he will most likely bring Fenrir who is a werewolf. Try not to say anything that may upset Fenrir as he is hard to control. And if you would feel better just staying up here for dinner that will be fine, but I'm sure that Lord Voldemort would like to meet you at some point tonight."

I sat on the edge of my bed running everything over in my head. "I guess being a witch would explain that letter a few years back from Salem's Institute of Witch Craft and Wizardry," I said after a moment, struggling to recall the name. "Is this Lord Voldemort a lord because he is rich, or is it something else?" Lucius shook his head as he answered; "He is lord because there is perhaps few wizards, or witches, who could rival his power." I took a deep breath before speaking again.

"I was raised to respect my elders and though only by a few years you are still my elder. You have a very important guest coming tonight and out of respect I will join you for dinner. I have to say this is a lot to take in, but as long as you don't chew me out for what I wear, or how I look then things might just work out for everyone." He breathed a sigh of relief before leaving me alone with the promise to come get me when dinner was ready.

I set to work unpacking, figuring I had awhile before guests arrived. I was starting to unpack my clothes when Narcissa knocked on the door. She was carrying their one year old child, Draco, and with magic had brought up a tray of milk and cookies. "I thought you might like a snack," she said, setting it down on my desk. She then conjured a playpen for Draco then started to place clothes on hangers for me. I thanked her with a quick smile and we worked that way for a few hours.

"Not that I don't appreciate the help," I said finally breaking the silence. "But, shouldn't you be getting dinner ready?" She chuckled. "We have house elves to do that. I just told them what should be made and they are already working on it." I raised a quizzical brow. "Oh don't tell me you didn't have one back home." The shock on her face was almost comical. When it dawned on her how out of touch with the magical world I was, she proceeded to explain the different nuances of magic households. Everything from house elves to doxies, even spells used to make packing and unpacking easier.

"You mean to tell me that you could have done all of this for me and instead we have been sitting here for the better part of three hours doing this ourselves?" I said in mocked anger. She let out a laugh before pulling her wand out and saying the spell needed. In minutes everything was unpacked and placed where I would have put it myself. "Now that was useful," I said flopping back on my bed. "And a lot less tiring."

Just then the doorbell rang. Narcissa's cheery countenance fell as she excused herself from the room. I could already tell I wasn't going to like the people I would be meeting. Lucius came up shortly after to tell me what I had already figured out. Guests were arriving and dinner would be in half an hour. If I wanted to shower first there was a bathroom across the hall. "Hey Lucius," I called as he turned to leave. "Do we still have the deal that I can wear whatever I want and you won't hassle me about it?" He gave a quick nod before leaving.


	3. Chapter 3

I hurried through my shower and looked carefully through my clothes. My first thought was to wear my most scandalous outfit, but I decided since that Narcissa and Lucius had enough on their plates that I would tone it down a notch or two. That's not to say that I dressed appropriately either. I decided to pick the accessories first and plan the outfit to that.

I made my way downstairs wearing a black, backless tank-top. Along with that I was wearing a dark green, faux snake-skin mini skirt with black leggings, a pair of heels that my friends termed pole-dancers, a faux Emerald cross that hung down between my breasts, as well as my black dangle feather earrings. I felt like I could handle anything that was thrown at me.

I may have only been fifteen, but I was well trained on the streets for getting what I wanted by looking how I did. That's not to say that I slept around, but in the states many a guy would believe that they could have you with a few choice words and looks. I figured foreigners would be the same way. I had seen Narcissa change at the sound of the doorbell and knew that this would be a den of wolves, so I had dressed to play the part.

Narcissa almost dropped her drink when she saw me, which caused Lucius to turn around. His jaw dropped in disbelief and his eyes almost bugged out, but he quickly recovered his senses and hurried to my side. "Are you insane coming down here in that? These men will chew you up in that outfit. Now I'm not saying that you have to, but I would suggest that you go change into something more appropriate."

I patted his arm. "I've lived on the streets of New York. The only difference between that and here is that these guys can do magic. I'm a big girl and can handle myself, just introduce me to everyone and try to enjoy the night for what it is. Besides, you did say I could wear whatever I wanted." I gave him my most reassuring smile and with a sigh he offered me his arm and we made our way through the crowd.

Lucius first introduced me to Macnair then to Crabbe and Goyle, two of his closer friends. (I later learned that Lucius didn't consider anyone but family as close friends.) He pointed out Fenrir as we made our way towards where Voldemort was seated. "Now remember, the Dark Lord can read minds so don't be surprised if you think something and he asks you about it," Lucius whispered in my ear. "My lord, may I introduce my niece. She has just joined us from the states."

"Ah yes, so unfortunate to hear about your mother. She would have done well with us from what I heard, though perhaps you will make a better specimen yourself," Voldemort said hardly looking me over. "My mother did just fine considering the drugs that were forced into her system," I began to say. Lucius squeezed my arm in warning just as Fenrir stepped forward. Voldemort shooed Fenrir back a pace. "I see that that is a touchy matter for you," he said, his eyes boring into mine. My head started to feel foggy as I assumed he was trying to read my thoughts. Just then Fenrir let out a soft growl. "It seems a rat has entered the party my lord," he said indicating towards the front door.

"Ah Peter, come over here and join us." Voldemort stood and welcomed Peter with open arms. "Peter here is the newest recruit and I dare say his skills should prove fairly useful in the coming months." I glanced at Lucius and raised one eyebrow. He caught my silent question and mouthed animagus in response. As we all stood there talking Fenrir kept making cutting remarks about Peter being a rat, which Voldemort ignored and Peter pretended not to care. While I didn't much care for Peter myself, (street instincts kept telling me he wasn't trust worthy) I personally couldn't stand for Fenrir's remarks.

Dinner was soon served and thankfully I didn't have to listen to Fenrir anymore. Voldemort had insisted that I sit next to him and Peter so we all could get to know each other better. Part way through the meal, Fenrir had excused himself to go patrol the grounds. It was evident when he came back in that it had started pouring outside. Trying to make a joke, Peter asked him how the weather was which resulted in a remark about drowning rats in this sort of weather. I saw an opportunity to give Fenrir a taste of his own medicine though if I had truly thought it over I would have realized the stupidity of it.

I plugged my nose and made a disgusted face; "Oh yuck. What is that god-forsaken stench?" I then looked pointedly at Fenrir. "Oh wait, it's just wet dog, my mistake." Fenrir growled. "You wouldn't be saying that if you knew my true strength," he said between clenched teeth. "Oh please," I said with a roll of my eyes. "I grew up in New York and we have rats bigger than you. So you might want to give the 'rat' in your presence a bit more respect, because if you have seen what I have seen on the streets then you should fear him."

Fenrir made as though to strike me but Voldemort's laugh caused him to pause. "Lucius, how did you ever find this girl? She isn't afraid of my big bad wolf." Lucius sort of shrugged. "Guess I just lucked out," he said quickly before taking a drink. Fenrir, having realized that Voldemort supported me in a way continued back to his seat without saying a word.

Dinner passed quickly. "Well ladies and gentlemen, my very faithful followers," Voldemort began. "It is time for our meeting to begin. Those who have already been talked to pertaining to this are to stay, while those who have not must leave. I promise that you will all know of my plans very soon." I took Narcissa's lead and stood to go when Voldemort grabbed a hold of my wrist. "I feel that very soon you shall be amongst this privileged group. Take care pet." I hid the shutter that wanted to break loose until I was out of his sight. The way he called me pet set me at odds, but I knew that it would be important to Lucius' wellbeing (as well as my own) if I just went along with it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are thoughts, CAPS are yelled words, Combined Italics and Caps are emphasized words

It was two hours before anyone left the meeting and it was never more than one at a time. After changing into a pair of pajamas, I decided to wait on the stairs for Lucius. I wanted to talk to him about my mother before I headed to bed. As I was sitting there waiting I got a sudden chill and seconds later the front door was flung open. A figure dressed in black robes came in and started to stroll towards the meeting, completely oblivious to my presence.

"Excuse me," I said standing. "But you can't go in there." He turned wand raised though he lowered it a bit when he realized I was unarmed. "What I do is none of your business," was his snide remark and he turned back towards the doors. "Well seeing how I live here now, I'm making it my business," I replied quickly moving into his path. He gave what could have been a smile were it not for the scoff that followed it.

"Do you really think you could stand in my way? You are nothing but a child, and I could finish you off with a spell faster than you could draw your wand." He tried to move around me, but I followed his movements and once again blocked his path. "Oh how very tough of you to threaten an unarmed 'child', as you put it. As I said earlier, I live here now and I'm making it my business to know who you are and what you are doing here. You aren't getting past me until I have my answers."

Just then Fenrir opened the door to the meeting. "Snape, it's about time you got here. Quit fooling around with the girl and get in here. The Dark Lord has been expecting you for a while now." Snape looked coolly towards me. "As you can see girl, I am expected. You now know my name and why I am here, so move." Our hands brushed as he moved past me and I got a sudden vision of…Ok well it was more of a light and a feeling than anything. But he must have felt or seen something too because his eyes widened and he stared at me in disbelief for a moment before hurrying into the room.

Fenrir came out into the hall shutting the door behind him. "You are new to this whole magic thing girl, your reactions to everything say as much. So I'll do you this one favor, seeing how the Dark Lord seems to favor something about you. Stay out of Snape's way, because he doesn't care for anyone. And while you are at it, stay out of my way, because I will just cause you damage."

The threat was not subtle, and for a moment I was actually scared which he must have picked up on because he started laughing. Having never been one to back down from a fight though, I did probably one of the stupidest moves in my entire life. Gathering my courage I walked right up to him and looked him in the eyes, waiting until his laughter stopped before speaking.

"You may have the advantage over me at this moment dog," I started, the term causing him to growl. "But I'm not just a pretty face in the crowd. I'm a witch. I am stronger than you give me credit for and I will prove it. You will be sorry that you messed with me." I turned and started up the stairs. "Watch your back witch," Fenrir called after me, making his way back towards the meeting room. "Oh no dog," I said, pausing for just a moment. "You should be watching yours."

It was another hour and a half before everyone was gone. Lucius knocked softly against my door, which I had left open, before entering. "I heard you were giving Snape some trouble." I didn't look Lucius in the face as I replied. "I guess I should have stayed upstairs after all." I was surprised when Lucius started laughing. "I personally think he deserved to be put in his place a little. He has been a bit uppity since joining, to the point where I almost regret bringing him to the Dark Lord's attention."

"How was Fenrir when he went back in?" My courage from earlier had faded and I had begun to realize how foolish I had been. "What happened with Fenrir?" Lucius asked with genuine concern. I relayed the conversations from dinner and after Snape showed up. "Alexis that may have been the most foolish move you have made. Fenrir is one of the few non-magical beings that many, including myself, truly fear. Until you get the schooling you need, try to stick to Narcissa or me."

"Speaking of schooling, what are we going to do for my schooling? I didn't notice any schools on the way here." I won't lie and say I enjoyed school, but I really didn't want to spend much of my time in this house either so the faster I made friends the faster I could be out of here. "I will have to look into some things but I believe that you will be going to Hogwarts. Anyways, it's late and you have had a long day. Try to get some sleep and we will talk about things in the morning."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are thoughts, CAPS are yelled words, Combined Italics and Caps are emphasized words

Morning arrived faster, and surprisingly colder than I would have liked. "Ugh, I need a hot shower," I said out loud, just to feel less alone in the world. I had already come to terms with my mother's death, but even with the housing at the school I wasn't alone as there had been about nine or ten other students there. I stumbled towards the closet and worked on deciding my outfit for the day.

Figuring I had already played a scandalous outfit, I drew out a pair of deep red skinny jeans and a black t-shirt. I was surprised to find a hot shower already started for me by the time I reached the bathroom. "I'm going to have to ask about that one," I said to myself, climbing into the welcomed heat. I spent a good hour just letting the water cascade over my body before scrubbing down. I brushed out my hair, figuring on letting it hang down for the day, and applied some make-up before heading down to breakfast.

"I don't trust him Lucius." I heard someone saying as I approached the dining room. The voice sounded familiar so I figured that it was someone from last night's dinner. "I don't know what it is about him, but I just don't trust him." I cracked the door a little, careful not to make my presence known while listening in. I could make out Lucius sitting at the head of the table, Narcissa to his right, but I wasn't able to see who it was at the table.

"Could any of this be because of your past history with him?" Lucius replied. The man that was speaking with them let out an indifferent huff. "I'm sure that I am old enough to be through with such childish thoughts as to blame the man for his past grievances with me." Whoever the voice belonged to was beginning to get upset at their indifference.

"It's not good manners to listen at the door ma'am," a small voice said behind me. I turned around and was greeted with a short creature with bat sized ears, enormous eyes, and wearing what could have been a pillowcase at some point. With a scream I fell backwards into the room, crawling back as fast as I could. "I means no harm, masters," the creature said following me into the room.

"Dobby, what are you doing here?" Lucius demanded. "I means no harm. Dobby just bringing in a letter that's come," the creature said. Narcissa walked over and helped me to my feet. "You can take on a werewolf but you're scared of a little house elf. What kind of witch are you?" said the unknown voice, who turned out to be Snape.

"Bring the letter here Dobby and then get out of here," Lucius said, grabbing the letter and kicking Dobby out of the room. I sank into the seat closest to me and kept glancing back towards the door in which Dobby had exited, cursing my misfortunate entry. I hadn't had a real opportunity to get a feel for Snape last night, but something told me that I wasn't going to be living that entrance down.

"Now Snape, it wouldn't be fair to judge Alexis as she grew up outside the magical world and knows nothing of what house elves look like," Narcissa said as she retook her seat. "Perhaps you should get her a book, though seeing how she just reacted that might give her nightmares," Snape said with a slight sneer. Before I could come up with a retort, Snape scooted his chair back and stood. "You have a lot on your plate, Lucius, so I thank you for your time. Seeing as your charge is now awake I shall take my leave. I bid you good day."

"I really don't care for that guy," I said under my breath before helping myself to some toast. "Well you two didn't have a great first encounter either," replied Lucius with a chuckle. "Just give him some time and you'll get use to him." He threw a glance toward Narcissa, who gave an apprehensive smile before busying herself with her coffee.

"On a happier note," Lucius continued, "I have been in touch with Albus Dumbledore, the head master of Hogwarts, and he has agreed to meeting with you on Monday to discuss how best to proceed with your schooling. Seeing as you have not been properly trained on the subject, your entrance into Hogwarts will be quite an unusual case." Lucius changed the conversation into something pertaining to the Ministry of Magic when it dawned on me that I had no clue what Hogwarts was exactly.

"What do you mean by unusual case and not properly trained on the subject? What is Hogwarts?" The rest of the meal was explaining how witches and wizards were trained at special schools, Hogwarts being the local one and most famous one, and how the teaching usually started at the age of eleven. Narcissa couldn't understand how I couldn't have been contacted before, but Lucius reminded her that his sister – "For as much as I love her," – wasn't really one to keep with the magic ways, having complained quite often in their youth how it kept interfering with her social life.

I kept my mouth shut, but remembered the letter I had received years ago. I was actually changing my mind about wanting school to start quickly. I couldn't help but think of the awkward position I would be in, older than the first years yet not able to be in the same classes as those my age. I couldn't help but think how horrible this year had become.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are thoughts, CAPS are yelled words, Combined Italics and Caps are emphasized words

Not a lot happened over the next few days, just another dinner meeting on Friday. Snape having been the first to arrive, I claimed nausea and got myself out of attending. Dobby, whose presence I was slowly starting to accept, had made sure to deliver me some food. Narcissa had explained more about house elves after that first experience, Lucius interrupting loudly NOT to let any clothing be left lying about or else they could be freed.

The actual weekend flew by quickly and mid-day Monday, Lucius was taking me to meet with Albus in Diagon Alley. We arrived by apparating, which was a sensation in itself. The Alley was full of all kinds of unimaginable things. If Lucius hadn't told me that magic existed in this world, explained all the little nuances that I would be seeing or experiencing, then I would have thought I was dreaming. Lucius led the way into one of the smaller dinners.

"Now remember," he began as soon as we were seated. "Albus is beyond being your elder, so out of respect for him you should refer to him as Sir or Professor. When he gets here I'm going to speak with him alone for a few minutes before leaving the two of you to speak." He must have seen the apprehension that quickly crossed my face because he was quick to add, "Don't worry; I'll just be across the street. I need to order a few books so I'll spend that time across the street."

He pointed to the bookshop across the way, Flourish and Blotts, and I was relieved that our table was sitting in open view of the store's windows. As I was thus looking, an older wizard in purple robes passed by and entered the dinner. Lucius excused himself and went to greet this man. As they spoke I got my first real look at, who I correctly surmised as Albus Dumbledore.

Albus had long silver hair and a beard, both of which could be tucked into his belt if he wanted. Strangely enough, if it wasn't for his half-moon spectacles I would have though him to have been Merlin. Yes the Merlin from King Arthur stories. He had an easy going smile which he flashed towards me a couple of times while Lucius spoke to him, and I couldn't help but feel that even he had been a mischief maker in his youth. His blue eyes had a twinkle to them that also led me to believe that he held more back than people realized.

Albus gave Lucius a reassuring pat on the shoulder as they finally parted ways. As Albus came and sat across from me, I watched Lucius as he entered the book store. Once he was out of sight I had no choice but to refocus my attention on Albus. He sat there watching me, seeming as curious about me as I was about him, not speaking until ordering food. I was surprised by how soft spoken he was, while at the same time I found myself unable to pull my attention away from him.

"So you are Lucius' niece. I will say, for as long as I've known the Malfoy family, I never expected one to have hair quite like yours." I couldn't help but smile, not many of the older generation understood dyed hair. "None that I have heard of either," I replied. "It cost me 200 bucks to get these colors added. I also had to darken the brown but that actually comes pretty natural as my father was a brunette too. With my mother's platinum side it made for some easy highlighting though."

I stopped as I realized that with one simple comment from him I had just about spilled my entire life's story. With a side-ways glance at Albus' twinkling eyes, I knew that that was exactly what he had been going for too. I busied myself with my drink and looked out the window again. To my surprise, Albus cleared his throat and apologized.

"Lucius did warn me that you hadn't been raised around magic. I should have been more guarded in my ability to get people to open up around me. I'm sorry and hope you can forgive me for it." I wasn't sure exactly what he meant so I just nodded my head. By this time our food had arrived and we spent the next few minutes eating instead of talking.

"Hogwarts will be quite different from what you are used to," Albus said, breaking the silence. "You will have the opportunity to achieve greatness in the magical realm. I understand that you come from a different background than most of our students. As I understand, the Muggle world likes to live in denial that there is such a thing as magic, so your friends back at home wouldn't understand the accomplishments."

I nearly choked on my sandwich. "The what world?" I was sure I had heard him wrong, but his chuckle told me I had heard right. "Muggle is the term that we in the wizarding world use to describe non-magic people. Your father would be a prime example of a Muggle. It's not intended to be derogatory or anything, though I'm sure there are wizards out there who do." I just nodded my head and chocked it up to shear insanity.

"It is intriguing to me, the potential I can sense in you. Not so unlike him that I actually wonder…" Albus spoke in a soft tone, more to himself than to me. He shook his head as he cleared his thoughts and continued speaking again of Hogwarts. "I feel that accepting you into Hogwarts would be a smart move. However, we do not allow eccentrics such as your hair color, your piercings, or your body art, though those would be harder to get rid of."

"There is no way I'm dying my hair again so soon after getting it like this. You do remember me saying it cost me 200 bucks right? This is who I am. I thought this school was supposed to be understanding of such matters. It's not hard enough in life to be magic, now you make demands of our looks. If getting rid of the things that allow me to promote my individuality is what it takes to get into this school, then count me out. I've lived this long without proper magic I can survive the rest of my life without it too."

I took a few breaths, mentally beating myself for losing my cool so readily. I had promised Lucius, and Narcissa, that I would not make things hard for him and yet here I was arguing with the headmaster of the school that they wished me to go to. I was going to have to do some major schmoosing to make it right. Just as I opened my mouth to speak however, Albus started to chuckle.

"Lucius said you were spirited, though I think he may have understated it by a bit. Perhaps, because of your age, we could allow a slight change of the rules, though I do shutter at the outcry that this will bring. Your hair can stay as it is, but during classes it must be done up in such a way as to hide as much of the off color as possible. I do however insist that you limit your piercings to only one pair, and they must be in your ears and not one of the other two. Now mind you, if you fall out of credence with any of these rules, they will no longer apply. Furthermore, no student is to find out about these exceptions. Does that sound fair?"

Albus sat there with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face that people only wear if they know they are winning a game. When I nodded in agreement he spoke again. "There is much you can gain by learning more about magic." Not fully understanding what he meant I focused instead on finishing my food and before long Lucius was back and we were heading home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors note: So I moved this story over from FF.net and I dont have it all written out as much as I would like. So please consider these chapters a sort of teaser at more to come, and I will update as life and work allows me.
> 
> I didn't preview before posting, so I will be editing them in the weeks to come.
> 
> THANKS!!!


	7. Chapter 7

By the end of June I had received my official acceptance letter as well as the list of school supplies I would need. By the end of July Narcissa had taken me to buy my supplies leaving me a month until school started. During this time there had been about half a dozen meetings with Lord Voldemort and his followers. I was starting to get to know them fairly well.

Voldemort had grown quite attached to me, or at least as attached as an insane psychopath could be. Now granted, only being fifteen there was a possibility that I just didn’t truly understand the way his older mind worked. But there was something about the way he spoke that set me on edge. Lucius seemed to accept him as he was, so I tried too. I just couldn’t shake the feeling though that Voldemort was hiding some darker secret from everyone. I could tell that he was a killer, and that alone made me rather guarded when I had to be around him.

Fenrir would growl and try to look even more intimidating whenever we were seated near each other. But because of Voldemort’s attachment to me he didn’t make any more threats toward me. Peter Pettigrew usually stuck to my side during these meetings because of that fact. Pettigrew’s choice of being a rat animagus seemed to be about right, though he reminded me more of a mouse than a rat. Crabbe and Goyle kept an interested eye on me though they didn’t go out of their way to try and know me better either. Macnair had actually been easy enough to talk to, but his job as executioner gave me the creeps so I usually tried to avoid talking with him long.

Snape kept a cool and closed demeanor with everyone. He was the hardest to read out of anyone, and somehow that made him the most intriguing to me. Though he spoke very little to me, on the rare occasion that we wound up sitting next to each other he was civil. As I had rightly assumed during our second encounter, he hadn’t forgotten my not-so-grand entry when I had seen my first house elf. Comments like “Watch out for the house elves, they might bring you letters” and “Found any more common wizarding household things to fear” were often whispered as we crossed paths.

The biggest shock for my summer came during the middle of August, during one of the usual meetings. Fenrir was absent during this time due to the full moon, so Pettigrew had attempted to side up next to Voldemort. Having finally had a moment to myself for the night, it took me a moment to realize that my usual chair was being held out for me by Snape. I muttered a thank you as he pushed my seat in for me, before taking the one to my right.

“So I’m curious, Ms. Matthews, what is it that you plan on doing once the summer ends? You seem to be guarded about everything that we discuss at these meetings, surely you have some say about all of this. I guess I’m just wanting to get a better reading about you is all.” Snape spoke only loud enough that I would hear him, which seemed odd enough. As he reached for his drink, his eyes roved around the room, making sure there were no eavesdroppers, before settling back on me. The feeling was slightly unnerving, like looking at a predator that you know is about to end you. From what I had gathered over the summer, Snape was about as close to being the right-hand to Voldemort. It was hard not to think that he was asking me these things not for himself, but for Voldemort.

“Anything that occurs after the summer is of little consequence to me,” I said slowly, not really sure why he was asking. “I start school again in September so there will be little, if anything, that I can put forth for these meetings. It’s just nice to be kept in the loop I suppose.” I was feeling trapped and wanted this night to end quickly. Since the food had been served, I busied myself with eating, hoping that Snape would drop the matter.

“Where are you going to continue your studies? A Muggle establish I would assume. It would make sense seeing as you haven’t had any magical training before. Starting you off at magic school, at your age, would be irregular.” Snape spoke with such arrogance that I instantly felt up to sparing with him, at least verbally. I took a quick drink to ready myself.

“Actually, I’ve been accepted into Hogwarts. I hear it is the best magical school, so I guess that my lack of magical training won’t be that big of an issue.” I couldn’t keep the smug look off my face as the color drained slightly from Snape’s. I was just thinking that round one went to me, when Snape regained color and replied, “Well I suppose it would make some sense. Lucius probably paid a lot to convince them to accept you. Though, I do feel a bit sorry for you. Starting with no training whatsoever into the best magic school, hopefully you won’t be too much of a disgrace to the Malfoy name.”

Game, set, match. . . I hadn’t just lost this round I had been slaughtered and lost the war. As Snape turned to answer a question of the wizard next to him, I tried hard not to throw up. He was right; everything had been irregular about it all. I excused myself and carefully made my exit. Narcissa must have seen how faint I looked because she was by my side before I had even made it halfway to the door.

She didn’t speak until we had gotten upstairs to my room. “Is everything alright? You look as though you might pass out.” I sat on the edge of my bed as she conjured a glass of water. I took a few sips, hoping the shaky feeling would leave, and asked the question that I had held back all summer. “Why do I have to go to Hogwarts? If I was back at home I’d be going to a normal school anyways. Why can’t I just do that?”

With a sigh, Narcissa sat down at my desk. “I’m sure this has all been very hard on you. I can’t even begin to imagine how crazy this must all seem to you. I’m surprised it’s taken this long for the shock of it all to hit. I learned at Hogwarts as well as Lucius and your mother. You will do fine, I’m sure of it. There are things taking place in our world that it would be better for you to learn a few things about magick, to be better prepared for it all.”

“Exactly, it’s your world, not mine. I don’t belong in the magic world. I don’t belong here. I want to go home, where my friends are, where I actually had a life.” That might have been the wrong thing to say because Narcissa stood up with a huff, and I could see the struggle she was having keeping her temper in check. “Listen to yourself. You are fifteen years old and are acting like a three year old. I opened up my house to you, Lucius went out of his way to track you down and gain custody of you. I’m sorry that you lost your mother and that Life has decided to put you into this situation, but let’s get one thing straight.

“You aren’t in the States anymore. You are in my house and as such you will follow our rules. I have no problem with your hair color and piercings. I want no more of this skimpy dressing during these meetings. You have nice decent clothes; I’ve seen them and helped put them away. You have had two, almost three months to get accustomed to the way things are here. You will also be going to Hogwarts, where you will learn about your true power. As I stated, there are things taking place in our world and I will not allow someone living under this roof to put my family in danger. You are family, too, and I refuse to stand by and watch helpless from the sidelines. This is the beginning and the end of discussion, understood?”

I nodded, too shocked by her outburst to argue my point any further. She left without saying another word and I was left alone with my thoughts. She was right, I could feel in my gut that there was more going on and she just confirmed it. Starting tomorrow I would make amends and start afresh. I hoped that I wouldn’t have to beg too much for forgiveness, but knew I would deserve it if I did.


End file.
